A 26-year-old man who sexually assaulted a woman earlier this year has been jailed for two years.
Abdulla Ali was sentenced at Gloucester Crown Court on Thursday (11 December).
The court was told that on 28 July this year Ali approached a woman, whom he did not know, when she was walking home at around 11pm after a night out.
Ali was seen on CCTV going up to the woman, who was unsteady on her feet, and he then led her away from her intended path home.
She collapsed out of view from CCTV, however Ali could be seen crouching over her. The court was told he left for a short time, returned, and then hauled her up and led her away a second time.
Prosecuting barrister Simon Burns said: “The defendant has taken advantage of a particularly vulnerable female, ejaculated onto her trousers and admitted in his pre-sentence report to touching her private parts.”
Ali was later seen alone on CCTV heading in the direction of his home address on Cecil Road, Gloucester.
The victim woke up at home the next morning, and was unaware of what Ali had subjected her to.
She spoke to police a few days later on 31 July, and she was advised to go to a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC), which she did immediately.
Forensic analysis identified stains on the victim’s clothing as semen, however there was no match on the database to the DNA profile.
Following an investigation by Gloucestershire Police’s Rape and Serious Sexual Offences team, detectives pieced together CCTV evidence from that night and Ali was arrested.
His DNA was compared to the DNA profile found on the victim’s clothing, and it was found to be a match.
During police interviews, Ali denied sexually assaulting the woman and said his intention was to help her. When he was spoken to about his DNA on her clothing, Ali said he became aroused and involuntarily ejaculated.
He was charged with attempted rape and on 8 October this year (2025) he instead pleaded guilty to sexual assault, with the facts including that he led the victim away against her will and that he deliberately masturbated over her.
In a statement written by the victim, which was read to the court, she said: “I feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety and now constantly think ‘what if’ as I plan the day ahead. I feel as if my freedom has been taken away and this has caused me undue stress and worry, and I do not know how to manage this.
“I have no recollection of what happened to me, but I question the morality of this man if he saw me potentially needing help, and instead took advantage of my situation, and the fact that I was a female of small build, alone and intoxicated.
“I wonder if this man has a mother, a sister or a daughter, and if he does, how he would feel if they were violated? Would he want justice for them or would he just show indifference?
“I don’t feel indifference and I do want justice. I want him to know that he has ruined my faith in humanity and made me afraid for my future and what my future now looks like. I don’t want to be defined by this incident, but I know that for the foreseeable future that the detrimental impact will be difficult for me to overcome.
“I want this man to see himself in my shoes. I want him to know how he has made me feel, I want him to understand the affect his actions have had on me and how I am struggling to understand why he chose to assault me. I want him to show remorse for the decisions he made and the actions he took on the night that cannot be undone.”
After he was sentenced, Ali apologised to the victim.
The court was told Ali was an asylum seeker from Egypt with no previous convictions.
His Honour Judge Rupert Lowe sentenced him to two years in custody. Ali will also be on the Sex Offenders’ Register for 10 years and the court was told he would be recommended for deportation.
Investigating officer Detective Constable Simone Bowley said: “Without this woman coming forward and speaking to police about her concerns from that evening, we would never have been aware of what this dangerous man had done.
“In police interview Ali claimed he was helping her, but what he did to her was sexual assault. She was in no position to be able to consent to anything.
“I commend the woman’s bravery in coming forward, working with us and making sure Ali is held responsible for his abhorrent actions.”
Hope House Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) is a service in Gloucestershire which offers medical care as well as emotional and practical support to anyone who has experienced sexual violence or abuse.
The SARC has a team of specially trained and dedicated Crisis Workers and Forensic Nurse Examiners who understand how difficult it can be to talk about what has happened if someone has sexually assaulted you.
Their service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week and you can contact the SARC even if you have not reported an incident to the police. They can store samples for two years which means you can report an incident to police, if you wish, at a later date.
For more information about the SARC, including what to expect if you go to Hope House and what a forensic medical examination involves, visit their website: https://www.hopehouse.nhs.uk/sarc/
To report a rape or other sexual offences call 999 in an emergency, or report by calling 101 or online here: https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/ro/report/rsa/alpha-v1/v1/rape-sexual-assault-other-sexual-offences/
First Light provides support for all victims and survivors of sexual violence, for more information visit: https://www.firstlight.org.uk/
Gloucestershire Rape and Sexual Abuse Centre also provide support for all victims and survivors of sexual violence, for more information visit: https://www.glosrasac.org/